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Meet Some Googlers

• AdWords Associate Manager - Renate
• Associate Product Manager - Rose
• Partner Solutions Organization - Craig | Mark
• Payments Team Lead - Caroline
• Product Manager - Charles
• Sales Engineering - David | Todd
• Software Engineers - Erin | Jay | Julie | Maryam | Michael
• Software Engineers in Test - Archana | Michael | Zuri
• Usability Analyst - Laura

AdWords Associate Manager

Name: Renate
Title: AdWords Associate Manager
Office: Dublin, Ireland
Hometown: Kristiansand, Norway
Education: BS in Marketing and International Business from Pennsylvania State University

Why did you decide to come to Google?
When I finished my studies in 2002 I started looking for a job. I had used Google all through my college years and had heard great things about Google. So I went to www.google.com/jobs and applied. I got an interview! I was delighted! Soon thereafter I started as an AdWords trainee and quickly progressed to become a coordinator for the Norwegian market.

Why do you like working at Google?
Working at Google has been an amazing experience. Not only are you working with smart, young and creative people, you are in an international environment where there are unlimited opportunities to develop your skills and build a career.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
In Dublin I became involved in training and progressed to become a Training Specialist. At first I was responsible for training all new and existing AdWords trainees and Coordinators. As our team grew I worked on further developing our training programs. I then progressed to Associate Manager for the Dublin training team and am now the Manager for the Training and Development.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
Being able to help build the Google Dublin office from the start. Seeing it evolve from the first few people we trained, to now where we have a training organization that supports both a large range of different products and many more new employees.

Associate Product Manager

Name: Rose
Title: Associate Product Manager
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Education: Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I first visited as a finalist for the Anita Borg scholarship and I met so many great people. I've never met so many young, excited, and intelligent people who genuinely enjoy their job. I decided then that I would love to be a part of Google.

Why do you like working at Google?
I like working at Google because everyone has a common goal to add value to our end users lives and to make our product better for them. That makes my work exciting.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
I'm working as a product manager on Gmail. I hope to make it the best email service possible and make sure everyone can access it from almost anywhere.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
I really appreciate the Google Shuttle that runs from the Mountain View campus to San Francisco. It makes living in the city a lot easier and I can use the commute time to read or check my email or finish up work.

Partner Solutions Organization

Name: Craig
Position: Sales Engineer
Homeown: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Education: BS in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from Stanford University

Why did you decide to come to Google?
After starting and running a business for several years I wanted to join an organization that was open to new ideas and where my experience and education would be fully utilized. I loved Google products and wanted to work there. I found the Sales Engineer position within Google offered me the opportunity to leverage my engineering skills and entrepreneurial spirit to make a significant impact to Google’s business.

Why do you like working at Google?
We have access to the best resources in the world to get our work done. I get to work on the entire Google product suite. I’ve had opportunities I don’t think I would have had anywhere else and I am part of a great team. The work is always interesting , always challenging and always fun. I have been able to stretch myself and learn new things almost daily. I feel that the Google environment and culture are unlike anywhere else, and I am very happy that I made the decision to join. I absolutely love being here and can’t imagine working any where else at this point.

What is unique about your role?
Sales Engineers at Google have a unique role in helping to close large, global deals, while also maintaining and being able to use our technical skills. We are a small team with a big impact. We work on building large partnerships with premier, big-name companies using Google technology. It's a unique group for engineers who want to build a career in the business field. It’s really exciting to get to see how my work impacts Google’s bottom line.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
Our team has worked on nearly all the major partnerships Google has announced over the past few years, including our recent deals with MySpace, MTV, Dell and Adobe. All the deals are large, complex and unique.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
When Google Checkout was launched this summer, it was incredible to wake up and see it as a major global business news story. The sales engineering team played a significant role in this launch, and it was great to see the attention and impact our work can have.

Partner Solutions Organization

Name: Mark
Position: Senior Technology Program Manager
Hometown: Pacific Palisades, California, USA
Education: BSE in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I was inspired to work at Google because the company is unique in so many respects. Whether it’s using unconventional business strategies and management models or experimenting in new markets, the company is always innovating. That was very important in my decision process. I wanted to work in a creative and fast-paced environment where new technologies and new business ideas are consistently brought to market. What excited me the most was the opportunity to surround myself with people who are inspired by their work and are constantly thinking and executing on the next big idea.

Why do you like working at Google?
The people, the opportunity, and the environment. It’s amazing to have the chance to learn from some of the top talent in business, product and technology areas. Even though I have only been here for three years, I feel as though I have been able to significantly expand my skill set. In addition, most of the projects I work on have huge market potential. This keeps me very interested and excited since I know my work will make an impact on how people use the Internet and also on the company’s growth.

What is unique about your role?
I get to play with a lot of emerging technologies, conduct pilots with early-adopting partners on new platforms and improve Google’s products. My work also requires me to create detailed technical design and communicate externally with partners. I work with a lot of products and people across many organizations, which means I have a good pulse of where the company is headed.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

Google Book Search: Core launch team member, responsible for integrating with over 20 partners
Firefox Integration: Assisted technical negotiations during the pre-sales deal phase and successfully integrated Google Search and Startpage into the Firefox browser
Google Maps: Syndicated Google Maps search with 3 strategic partners
Google Video: Led pilot to syndicate and monetize Google Video content from MTV Networks for the very first time
Partner Infrastructure: Designed a robust distributed crawl system used to acquire terabytes of content used by a dozen products including Earth, Maps, Books and Video.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
The day we launched Google Book Search was amazing. We had been working on building partnerships, defining operations, and acquiring content for a very long time and when I finally saw the live site, I realized that the vision of organizing the world's offline knowledge had begun and that I was a part of making this a reality. I’m still part of this team and am proud of being a core member of this innovative team with very ambitious goals.

Payments Team Lead

Name: Caroline
Title: Payments Team Lead
Office: Dublin, Ireland
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Education: Bachelors degree in Business and Sociology from Trinity College, Dublin. Post graduate degree in Legal Studies at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I was completing a Post Grad in Legal Studies when I decided to prepare for my step into the ‘real world' of work. I began to look for jobs in the hope that I would have gathered some prospective job opportunities by the time I finished my post grad. I applied for a job that sounded really interesting on a recruitment website. I received a call from the recruitment company before I had even turned off the computer! I was interviewed a few days later and was offered a chance to become one of the first 5 Googlers in Dublin.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
I began as an editorial rep for our UK and Irish advertisers. After a couple of months I began working as a coordinator, responding to advertiser queries via email. I also began working for part of my time with the payments/risk management team in MV. After 6 months I began phone support for our UK advertisers and became an assigned Customer Service Representative (CSR) for approximately 200 of our top advertisers. During this time I also became the main point of contact for all EMEA payments/risk management issues.

After a year at Google, I was promoted to the role of Associate and in June 2004 moved from the UK/Ireland team to become an online specialist full time. During the past three years I have also assisted in setting up the Dublin office, interviewing new candidates, training new hires, recruiting and training a payments and risk management team in Dublin to serve our EMEA advertisers. In September 2005 I was promoted to team lead and have spent the past three months working with my US colleagues out in sunny California!

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?
I hope to continue being a strong resource for others who need advice and support regarding our online advertisers. I wish to continue building our payments/risk management team and aim to assist Google in the launch of AdWords in emerging markets and develop our presence in current markets. I wish to help Google in providing the best payments options for our EMEA advertisers. I hope to be involved in the launch of new products and development of challenging projects.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
The things I most enjoy here are the people I get to work with every day. Everyone is so talented, supportive of each other and hard working. The encouragement and support that we receive from management is amazing. We are given ownership of the projects that we work on and are encouraged to work on and develop our ideas. Every day presents new challenges and exciting opportunities. I never would have thought that I could meet so many amazing people and learn as much as I have in such a short space of time. Also, the lunches are delicious!

Product Manager

Name: Charles
Title: Product Manager
Office: London, England
Hometown: London, England
Education: MBA from London Business School

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I thought that Google was the only major Internet company that put innovation and the end user at the heart of their culture and strategy. As I love innovation and consumer web products, I really felt that Google was the only choice for me.

Why do you like working at Google?
The people at Google are all incredibly smart and energetic and they generate so many exciting ideas. Moreover, there is a lot of respect given to different views and it is a very inclusive environment, which means that you can contribute and make a difference from day one whoever you are.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
One of the great things about working at Google is that although you will be hired for one particular job, you can end up working on all sorts of projects. You typically have to play multiple roles. These projects are challenging and push you out of your comfort zone, but allow you to develop new skills and experience. I have worked on everything from new products to business development to new markets strategy, all in the space of 6 months.

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?
My goal is to deliver compelling new products that make a real difference to real people in the real world. I feel that Google is a place where l can achieve this. When I hear people saying things like "I don't know how I managed before I had this" about products that I have helped build, I get a buzz.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Working with the very best people in the business.

Sales Engineering

Name: David
Title: East Coast Manager, Customer Solutions Engineering
Office: New York, New York
Hometown: Nice, France
Education: MS in Applied Mathematics, University of Nice, France

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I had been using Google as a search engine for many years already and really liked Gmail as well. When an office was opened in New York, I immediately decided to give it a try. One of my best friends who joined Google a couple of months before me was also raving about how happy he was to work there, and he's a person who only very rarely says "I like this".

Why do you like working at Google?
I enjoy coming to work every day for many reasons. Primarily, the people I get to work with. It's an amazing crowd and the fact that Sales and Engineering are somewhat mixed makes it a very stimulating environment.

I also have to admit that the perks are awesome. How can you say no to a nice massage when you are feeling tired? Food is one of the great things in life and our on-site chef makes lunch time a memorable moment everyday.
What is unique about your role?
As a Sales Engineering manager, I get to work with a passionate team of experts. All of the Sales Engineers have a strong Software Engineering background, some of them were Software Engineers at Google, and they just wanted to see the business side of the company. They come up with technical ideas that can rapidly get implemented and rolled out to our customers. The satisfaction is immediate.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
On the technical front, I've always liked to build things so when I first joined, the AdWords API was just coming out and I programmed many tools based on it. Most of these applications are still used by Googlers and some customers. As a French native speaker, I also occasionally help out with some of our internationalization efforts.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
In 2006, I went on a 3-week European tour to evangelize our team in all of our offices. I also interviewed many local candidates and explained to the sales team understand how to work together. The European team is now up and running and has Sales Engineers in most countries.

Sales Engineering

Name: Todd
Title: Customer Solutions Engineer
Office: Mountain View, California
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Education: BS in Electrical Engineering, Purdue University

Why did you decide to come to Google?
Google had been my home page for a long time, and I was a big fan of the Toolbar and Blogger service. I had former co-workers and friends at Google who really enjoyed what they did and loved the work environment, so I applied for a position. I interviewed with eight or nine people over a period of two weeks. As I learned more about Google's 20% time, start up atmosphere, and commitment to innovation I knew this was the place I wanted to work.

Why do you like working at Google?
The people you get to work with are the best thing about Google. Because Google hires such talented people with diverse skills, you can't help but learn from them every day. There are unlimited opportunities to develop your career at Google. I also like that Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it useful. As we work towards realizing this mission, Google is able to make a difference for the better in many people's lives. To list a few more reasons: tech talks, free gourmet lunch and dinner, and on-campus massages.

What is unique about your role?
As a sales engineer I work with our largest advertisers, introduce them to Google technology, and then help them implement it. I am able to apply my technical knowledge to this role while gaining a better understanding of the business side of Google. It is satisfying to be able to work with the latest Google technology while at the same time have a direct impact on Google's revenue.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
When I first started at Google I worked in the Enterprise group and helped some of our largest customers test beta versions of the Google Search Appliance. Since then I have been working with AdWords advertisers, presenting different ways that they can use Google's tools and technology to organize *their* information and make it useful.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
Last year, I was in a meeting and looked up to see Jimmy Carter walking down the hall. He was there to give a talk later that day. It has also been amazing to work on ideas with advertisers and then see them on the web or read about them in the press.

Software Engineer

Name: Erin
Title: Software Engineer
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Redmond, Washington, USA
Education: BS in Computer Science (and BA in Music and B. Music in Piano) from University of Washington

Why did you decide to come to Google?
Although I wasn't officially referred by anyone at Google, I did have several friends from school that came to work here that I asked about it, and when they told me about it I thought it sounded like a great place to work.

Why do you like working at Google?
There are so many reasons, but far and away the best thing about working at Google is the people. Everyone I ‘ve met has been incredibly intelligent, creative, personable and fun to work with!

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
I've been working on our billing system, and one of the coolest projects that I've been involved with was enabling electronic funds transfer (direct deposit) for AdSense publishers. It was a feature they'd been requesting for a long time, and it was really great to know that so many people were so excited by the launch of a project.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Probably the fresh fruit that's always available in the mini-kitchens. I love having some strawberries and bananas for breakfast when I arrive in the morning – although we have hot breakfast and a smoothie bar in the morning as well, my favorite remains the fruit available throughout the day. Or the on-site massage. Or the shuttle to and from San Francisco. Or…you get the picture – all of the perks/benefits are amazing.

Software Engineer

Name: Jay
Title: Software Engineer
Office: New York, New York
Hometown: Harbor City, California, USA
Education: BA Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University; MSE Computer and Information Sciences from University of Pennsylvania

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I started at Google as a summer intern while in grad school. I got hooked, so I stayed on after the summer to keep working on my project. But really, I knew I belonged at Google long before that. As I was finishing up college, I applied for various scholarships to work on oral histories - that is, to collect varying accounts of the same event and make them available online so that people could explore different perspectives of events and make their own decisions about what happened and which lessons should be learned. During an interview for one of these scholarships, someone asked me what else I would do if I didn't end up collecting oral histories, and I only half-jokingly replied, "Well, I'd work at Google." After all, Google was already doing what I wanted through its mission of organizing all the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful. So now here I am, helping to make that mission a reality.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Of course, the food at Google is the benefit that gets the most press. (The San Jose Mercury News said that the cafe in Mountain View "would be one of the hottest restaurants in the South Bay if you could get in without an invitation.") But while the food is amazing, I think the biggest perk has to be the available resources. When I leave the office at night, there are often still many, many machines running experiments on my behalf. In a single day at Google, I can process more data than I ever did in an entire semester of school. These resources do create the challenge of coming up with enough interesting ideas to try so that machines are never idle, but luckily Google also has an abundance of amazingly smart people. My manager wrote one of the textbooks I used in grad school; another member of my team created a software package I relied on consistently in my research. Having these kinds of people around to bounce ideas off of and collaborate with ensures that our machines always have interesting work to do.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?
I expected the people at Google to be smart, based on the products that the company puts out, and I wasn't disappointed in this respect. But other than that, I didn't really know what to expect of Googlers. I now know you really can't ask for a better group of people to work with. I could sit all day and rattle off examples to illustrate why I believe this, but I think one characteristic stands out most - Googlers seem to be, on the whole, a very generous group of people.

Last December, my girlfriend flew out to Mountain View to meet me for a vacation, but the airline lost all of her luggage. Though the airline's customer service agents were completely unhelpful and told her she'd have to wait a number of days before they could do anything, a Googler let my girlfriend borrow clothes for our vacation. I've also seen examples of Googlers' kindness in more everyday situations, from giving me a ride home (I used to bike to work) when I have a large package to offering free movie or theatre tickets that they can't use. And people at Google are also very generous with their advice – for both work-related questions and other miscellaneous ones. People are always willing to take the time to offer suggestions of things to do in a place they've visited; in the work realm, you often see some of the most senior people in the company answering multiple questions from new hires every day on mailing lists.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
I was at one of our snack stations making an espresso one afternoon, and I looked up to see that Al Gore was also taking a coffee break. And to be honest, I wasn't all that shocked to see him. Google's attracts interesting people - both engineers and visitors - and you never know who you'll run into on campus.

Software Engineer

Name: Julie
Title: Software Engineer
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
Education: MCS from University of Virginia

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I started at Google as a summer intern. I had already decided that I was interested in getting a summer internship somewhere when I attended an ACM-W conference where several Googlers spoke about their jobs here. They were so passionate about what they were doing that it was obvious they truly loved their jobs. Combined with the fact that I used and loved so many Google products, that is what made me decide to apply.

Why do you like working at Google?
Google gives me an amazing number of opportunities in all aspects of my daily work life. The people here are fascinating and intelligent, and they come from all over the world. I get to collaborate with them on the many different projects going on around the company, or just share a bite to eat with them in the cafe. And finally, I can attend the numerous talks to learn about a variety of subjects, including Googlers talking about upcoming Google products and experts in their field from academics or industry discussing their ongoing research.

What are your goals at Google - what are you working to achieve?
One thing that I love about Google is how useful the products are. I find myself using products such as web search, Gmail, and Google Local every day and wonder how I ever was able to find things before. One of my goals here at Google is to work on a product that is really useful for people and helps make a difference in their lives.

Software Engineer

Name: Maryam
Title: Software Engineer
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Holmdel, New Jersey, USA
Education: BA in Computer Science from Princeton, Masters in Computer Science from Columbia, and currently in PhD program at Columbia for Computer Science

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I was referred (by my brother!) to work at Google as a summer intern. In August of my internship, I decided I didn't want the summer to end, so I stayed on as a full-timer.

Why do you like working at Google?
The people, the perks, and the potential to impact. I am surrounded by some of the smartest and nicest (yet most humble) engineers - of course it’s easier to stay nice when you are well-fed, can get massages on campus, and can grab a beer on Friday afternoons. But what inspires me the most is the potential to impact millions of people through the work I do.

What are your goals at Google - what are you working to achieve?
I work on the wireless (think cell-phones) team and my overarching goal is to make Google "mobile." I'd like to see Google revolutionize how people use their mobile phones. And achieve world peace.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
It’s a tie between the massages and the Reese's peanut butter cups on the second floor of my building.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?
The number of people who wear Google t-shirts to work! It’s like being at a college campus that has tons of school spirit.

Software Engineer

Name: Michael
Title: Software Engineer
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Portland, Oregon, USA
Education: BS in Computer Science from Stanford; MS in Computer Science from Oregon Graduate Institute/Oregon Health & Science University

Why did you decide to come to Google?
Google came to my school while I was working on my Masters and it seemed like a great opportunity. After going through the interview process I felt that Google would be an exciting and enjoyable place to work.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
The main project I'm working on right now involves changing the way that projects request and obtain computing resources. I've been trying to make sure that the allocation of resources and building of machines interact correctly and that the needs of all the projects out there are satisfied. I've also been using my 20% time to get exposure to some completely different areas of Google technology by helping out with different projects.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Tech Talks. It seems like every week there are in depth presentations about Google technologies and talks by distinguished researchers from around the world. The topics are always very interesting and they're just down the hall. I've come to really appreciate the level of commitment Google has to continued learning and education for their engineers. A correlated benefit of these talks is that I get to work with the kind of people who are also very interested in the topics that are presented.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?
A few months ago the chef Mario Batali came to give away copies of his new book and Charlie's Cafe was serving one of his menus for lunch. Then in the afternoon Thomas Friedman gave a talk about the flattening world and Robin Williams gave an impromptu comedy sketch to close out the day.

Software Engineer in Test

Name: Archana
Title:Software Engineer in Test
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Bangalore, India
Education: University of Houston & Rice University, MS in Computer Science

Why did you decide to come to Google?
Before I joined Google I worked at two start-ups and it was great fun working in a small work environment. When I got a job offer from Google, a lot of my old colleagues were already here and told me that Google was like working for a start-up. The culture is great, free food, lots of perks, a 20% project, and working on innovative projects. I've been using Google products since 2000 and ever since then it has been my dream to work for a cool company with so much creativity and innovation. Google has the reputation of hiring the smartest people in the industry and I always wanted to work with smart people. So it was not very hard for me to accept the offer from Google.

Why do you like working at Google?
Google is a great place to grow professionally as a manager or an individual contributor. I have the opportunity to code and grow technically and manage a team. I learn new things everyday and I enjoy that. There is an endless list of projects to explore. There is an enormous amount of positive energy that keeps me going and growing. I just love the work environment. We respect each other and value each other's contributions. My voice is heard irrespective of my position in the company. At times when I am stuck in a problem, I never have to think twice to approach someone. I am surrounded by very smart people who are always willing to help me and share knowledge with me.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
Since I have joined Google, I have been part of the Ads Group. To date, I have managed a team that provides Quality Assurance to AdSense projects. I have also helped with recruiting engineers to Google in various locations in the U.S. and in India. Currently, I am working on building a team for System Testing and Load/Performance Testing.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
We have a lot of on-site amenities such as massages, free gourmet food, laundry facilities, dental services, hair styling, daycare facilities, concierge, car wash, and more. But more importantly, knowing that I am a valuable component of Google's workforce is a great motivator for me.

Software Engineer in Test

Name: Michael
Title: Software Engineer in Test
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: San Jose, California, USA
Education: BS in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I wanted to be on the cutting edge of technology. I wanted to work for a company that has direct impact on everyday lives all over the globe, feel like every day makes a difference, and have a blast doing it. Google is the most innovative and ambitious company in the world and I wanted to be a part of it.

Why do you like working at Google?
I enjoy freedom, opportunities, and technical challenges. Google gives me the freedom to pave your own way and be creative in how I solve problems. Plus 20% of my time can be spent to improve my skills and to work on challenging projects outside my normal areas. Everyday, there are new and exciting opportunities popping up to improve existing products, dive into new technologies, or to start a new project.

Also, Google feels like a large family. Doors are always open, people are extremely friendly, and there is a constant buzz and excitement in the air. The energy here is amazing.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
Since 2003, I've worked on the launch of AdSense, the first creation of our back-end billing system and its growth, Google Video, initial versions of GMail, and initial versions of Google Desktop Search.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Roller hockey! Not to mention the fabulous food, volleyball, and the convenience of an on site oil change :)

Software Engineer in Test

Name: Zuri
Title: Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer
Office: New York, New York, USA
Hometown: Geismar, Louisiana, USA
Education: Tulane University and The George Washington University, BA in Computer Science with a Religion minor

Why did you decide to come to Google?
The decision was easy. Simply put, I wanted to work at a progressive company very focused on customers, a company that also values employee happiness. I wanted a work environment that allows a broad view of Quality Assurance and lets me move across various roles. The most important factor in my decision was my love of Google products. Before joining, I set my homepage to Google, and I used all of the products. It only made sense that I join the ranks and contribute to improving the quality of those products I had grown to love.

Why do you like working at Google?
Google has provided me with the opportunity to grow professionally. I have been exposed to numerous aspects of the business and technology far beyond my immediate projects. At Google, every idea counts, every voice is heard, and individual contributors are given ample opportunities to excel within and outside of immediate job duties. I also like the fact that all Googlers are academically talented folks. If you are stuck on a problem, just ask your coworker for help because there is ALWAYS a great Google idea to solve it.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?
I've been exposed to a huge number of challenges and projects. To date, I've worked on a good percentage of Google's key projects. I have also participated in recruiting engineers to Google in various stateside and other locations such as India. My most recent feat is building a team in the New York office.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
I would have to go with the on-site massage therapy. I love rewarding myself with a massage after a productive work week. In my opinion, there is no better way to say "Job well done!!!" than with a relaxing massage.

Usability Analyst

Name: Laura
Title: Usability Analyst
Office: Mountain View, California, USA
Hometown: Niskayuna, New York, USA
Education: PhD from Stanford

Why did you decide to come to Google?
I first interned at Google after finishing my Masters degree. I was considering taking the summer off after finishing my Masters and before starting my PhD, but after interviewing at Google and meeting my team members, I was definitely impressed. I wanted the opportunity to incorporate the research I had done at school to an applied context, and Google was the perfect place to do this. I knew that I would be able to pursue work directly relevant to my research while also gaining even more skills and knowledge in the process.

Why do you like working at Google?
One of the reasons I love working at Google is because every day is different. As a usability analyst, there is a seemingly never-ending queue of new products and features to evaluate. Each week, we get to see and test these new developments, working with different product teams along the way. I love contributing towards making Google's products the best they can be by the time the public sees them.

Another thing I really like about joining the Google team is the great sense of community. Google is definitely more than just a place to work and most everyone treats it that way. Googlers are always willing to help each other out with all sorts of things. For a small example, I wanted to learn about good bike routes to work from my house, and sent out an email to the "biking" Google email list. I got a bunch of different replies that really helped me out. During my internships, my mentors were fabulous in making sure that I had clear goals to work towards, as well as making me feel an active part of the team.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?
Oooh, there are so many! The first is obviously the opportunity to work with so many unique, creative, and motivated people. Having so many bright and friendly people around the campus definitely makes a big difference. I've made a lot of amazing friendships working at Google.

The environment and flexibility at Google is also great. It's definitely not your typical 8-to-5 job, both with respect to the hours that you can keep and the things you can do throughout the day. In the middle of the day, you can take a break and get a massage, see people playing pool or ping-pong, use the gym or even go for a run outside on the nearby trails.